Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT Orrroa WILLIAM F. OOOHBA'NE, OF LA FAYETTE,INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVE STERS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 173,900, dated February22, 1876; application filed March 6, 1874.

the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section ofthe harvesting-machine, looking towardthe outer driving-wheel. Fig. 2 isa top-plan view, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.-

Similar letters of reference in the-accompanyin g drawings denote thesame parts.

My invention relates to a harvesting-machine in which the mainframe issuspended from the front of the foot'b'oard, between the driving-wheels,by means of an adjustable traction-latch, pivoted to the frame betweenthe main axle and gear center or-counter-shaft and it consists inconnecting the cutting mechanism with the pivoted or suspended frame,for the purpose of increasing the flexibility of the frame and cuttingmechanism, to permit them to follow the undulations of the ground andpass over obstruct-ions, and to distribute the weight of the cuttingapparatus more uniformly upon the two drive-wheels.

In the drawings, A is the main axle, supporting the two driving-wheelsof the machine so as to rotate independently of each other, and B B arethe side pieces of the frame, enlarged near their center for theformation of segmental slots 0, through which the axle passes. The sidepieces are properly secured together by cross-bolts and nuts, and theframe, thus formed, is prevented from moving laterally upon the axle bycollars D, keyed to the latter. The collars are each cast with asegmental pinion to mesh into segmental racks cast upon the short arcsof the segmental slots in the side pieces. E is a hand-lever, connectedto the axle between the outer driving-wheel and frame, by the operationof which the frame is raised and lowered through the medium of the racksand pinions, the axle turning, asa rock-shaft, in the segmental slots topermit this rising and falling movement. F F are the driving-pinionsupon the ends of the counter-shaft G, which has its hearings in the sidepieces in front of the main axle, so that the pinions shall engage withthe toothed rims of the driving-wheels. The pinions are connected to thecountershaft by spring-pawls and pawl-plates in the usual manner. Iisthe beveled gearing for driving the pitman-shaft,

tends upward through a longitudinal slot in the foot-board, where it ispivoted to aclutchblock, M, formed with one ratcheted side to engagewith corresponding teeth cast around the-slot in the foot-board, asshown. N is the drag-bar, jointed at its front end to theend of agirder, U, projecting laterally from the main frame in front of theinner driving-wheel, and P is the fingerbar, bolted to the drag-barshoe. The front joint of the drag-bar is so formed as to enable the barto rock freely and to rise and fall at its rear end, carrying the fingerand cutter bars with it, as well as the reel and reel-post. Any of theordinary joints now in use for this purpose may be employed, but Iprefer the joint for which I have already made application for LettersPatent. The outer end of the linger-bar is supported by a grain-wheeland provided with a grain-divider in the usual manner. The drag-bar isfurther connected to the frame by a back-brace, Q, pivoted at one end tothe drag-bar shoe, in rear of the cutter-bar, and at itsopposite end toa projection, R, cast upon the crank-shield S, in line, or nearly so,with the pitman-shaft. The back-brace also forms a radius-bar toequalize the throw of the cutters through the guard-fingers during therising and falling main frame so as to extend upward and to the rearthereof over the pitman; and U is the extension-bar, bolted firmly tothe shoe of the drag-bar in front of the back-brace. The extension-barprojects inward behind the main frame, where it is suspended by achain,V, from the end of the bracket. The cutting mechanism and drag-bar are,therefore, suspended from the rear end of the main frame by theextension-bar, chain, and bracket, and from the front end by the jointedcoupling at the forward end of the drag-bar. W is a bar pivoted to therear edge of the foot-board so as to extend backward over the main frameto a point in line, or nearly so, with the axial line of the cutter-bar,and its outer end is formed with a hook to receive the links of a chain,X, pivoted to the rear end of the frame or to the shield of thepitman-shaft crank. The inner end of the bar is pivoted in a socket ofthe foot-board in such a manner as to pre vent the bar from droppingdown while its outer end is free to rise. This bar and the chain X formthe point of suspension for the rear end of the gear-frame, and thusbecomes the center of motion for the frame when its front end is raisedor lowered by the lever and held by the traction-latch to change thepitch of the guard-fingers. The hand-lever E serves to raise and lowerthe frame through the medium of the segmental racks and pinions, so thatthe traction-latch can be moved to any point Within the length of itsguide-slot in the foot-board. By lengthening or shortening the chain Xthe rear end of the frame and the cut hereinbefore described. While thepivoted bar and its chain X suspend the rear end of the frame at thedesired point, they also allow it to rise freely, in connection with thecutting mechanism, for passing over obstructions, whether in the path ofthe frame or cutterbar. When the rear end is thus thrown upward thepivoted bar also rises to prevent it from striking the fly-wheel of thepitman-shaft, and thereby interfering with the movements of the pitmanor cutter-bar. When the main frame is thus suspended in front from thetongue-bracket or foot-board, and the cutting mechanism attached to themain frame by jointed connections and suspended from the rear of thefoot-board K by the extension-arm W and chain X, it will be seen that inpassing over undulations in the ground or obstructions near the innerend of the cutting mechanism, the rear end of the main frame will befree to rise, the pinions onthe axle riding in the segmental slots, sothat the main frame and cutting mechanism will oscillate upon an obliqueaxis extending from the traction-latch to the center of the grain-wheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Themain frame B B, suspended at its rear end from the extension-bar W,attached to therear end of. the foot-board K, and at its front-end bythe adjustable traction-latch L, substantially as described, and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The main frame B B, suspended at its rear end from the extension-barW, attached to the rear end of the foot-board K, and at its front end bythe adjustable traction-latch L, in combination with the cuttingmechanism jointed to the main frame by the drag-bar and back-brace,substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses E. A. ELLSWORTH, N. K. ELLswoRTH.

WM. F. GOGHRANE.

